New York to probe whether Kushner Cos. harassed tenants

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is launching an investigation to determine if White House senior adviser Jared Kushner's family real estate company harassed tenants at a Brooklyn waterfront property so that they would leave their rent-stabilized apartments. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is launching an investigation to determine if White House senior adviser Jared Kushner's family real estate company harassed tenants at a Brooklyn waterfront property so that they would leave their rent-stabilized apartments. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is launching an investigation to determine if White House senior adviser Jared Kushner's family real estate company harassed tenants at a Brooklyn waterfront property so that they would leave their rent-stabilized apartments. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is launching an investigation to determine if White House senior adviser Jared Kushner's family real estate company harassed tenants at a Brooklyn waterfront property so that they would leave their rent-stabilized apartments. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

July 16 (UPI) -- The state of New York opened an investigation Monday into whether the real estate company owned by Jared Kushner's family harassed tenants in order to push them out of rent-stabilized residences in Brooklyn.

New York's Tenant Protection Unit is seeking to determine if Kushner Companies violated state housing laws at the Austin Nichols House in Williamsburg.

"Governor Cuomo has zero tolerance for tenant abuse of any kind and we will aggressively take on landlords who try to intimidate people out of their homes," New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said.

TPU said the probe was instigated by a lawsuit filed by tenants of the Austin Nichols House, who said Kushner Companies undertook construction projects that released "dangerous toxins into the air and created unlivable conditions for tenants, including vermin and excessive construction noise."